Internet Safety for Kids: 5 Rules to Know

The Internet lets you learn, play, and talk with people all over the world. Like crossing a road or riding a bike, it is safer when you know a few rules. Here are five that are worth remembering.

Why online safety matters

When you send a message or post a picture, it travels across many networks and is stored on computers you will never see. Once something is online, other people can copy it, save it, or share it, and you cannot always take it back.

That is not a reason to be afraid. It is a reason to think for a moment before you share, click, or reply. The five rules below help you do that.

Rule 1: Keep personal information private

Personal information is anything that could help a stranger find you or pretend to be you. Keep these private unless a parent or guardian says it is okay:

• Your full name and your birthday
• Your home address and phone number
• The name of your school, club, or team
• Your passwords
• Photos that show where you live or go to school

Things like your favorite animal, a book you enjoyed, or a drawing you made are usually fine to share. They do not tell anyone where to find you.

Rule 2: Use strong, secret passwords

A password is like the key to your room. A good one keeps other people out of your accounts.

• Make it long. Several unrelated words joined together are hard to guess and easier to remember than a jumble of letters.
• Avoid the obvious. Your name, your birthday, your pet’s name, and words like “password” or “123456” are the first things someone would try.
• Use a different one for each account. If one password is discovered, the others stay safe.
• Keep it secret. The only people who should know your passwords are you and a parent or guardian. A real friend will not ask for them.

Rule 3: Think before you click

Some messages and pop-ups are tricks. They try to get you to click a link, download something, or type in private information. This kind of trick is called a scam. When the trick pretends to come from a company or person you trust, it is called phishing.

Slow down if you see any of these warning signs:

• “You won a prize!” when you did not enter anything
• A message that says you must act right now
• A link or file from someone you do not know
• A request for your password, your address, or a parent’s card number
• Something that sounds too good to be true

If you are not sure, do not click. Close it and ask a grown-up to look with you.

Rule 4: Be kind, and be careful with strangers

Behind every username is a real person with real feelings. Write the kind of messages you would be happy to receive, and do not join in when others are being unkind.

Remember too that online you cannot see who you are talking to. Someone can say they are your age and not be. So:

• Do not share personal information with people you only know online.
• Do not send photos to them.
• Never agree to meet someone from the Internet in person. If someone asks, tell a parent or guardian.

Rule 5: Tell a trusted adult

If something online makes you feel upset, scared, confused, or uncomfortable, tell an adult you trust, such as a parent, a guardian, or a teacher. This is the most important rule of all.

• Do not reply to a message that upsets you.
• Do not delete it right away. Show it to the adult first.
• Ask for help to block or report the person. Most apps and games have buttons for this.

Asking for help is not telling tales, and you are not in trouble because someone else behaved badly. Even if you clicked something by mistake or broke a rule, telling an adult quickly is always the right move.

For parents and teachers

Rules work best when children understand the reason for them and know they can come to you without being punished.

• Agree on the rules together. A short written family agreement is easier to follow than rules that change.
• Set devices up together. Look at the privacy settings and parental controls on the apps and games your child uses.
• Keep the conversation going. Ask what they enjoyed online this week, not only what went wrong.
• Stay calm when something happens. A child who is afraid of losing their device may stop telling you things.

Questions to talk about

Parents and teachers can use these to start a conversation:

• Which things about you are fine to share online, and which should stay private?
• What makes a password strong? Can you invent an example that you will not actually use?
• What would you do if a pop-up said you had won a prize?
• Who are three adults you could tell if something online upset you?